Wednesday, January 30, 2013

The Oldest Enemy by Michael Webb gets 5 stars from me. The fact that I give a supernatural thriller 5 stars is surprising, I don’t usually like this type of book or even consider reading this genre but since becoming a reviewer I am reading and even liking different genres. This story kept me turning the pages because I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. This novel is about demon possession and how Josef Rauch/Eric Reinhardt tries to destroy Israel because of his hatred of the Jews. This story is made believable because of what is happening in the Middle East today. The story is easy to follow and the characters are believable. This story starts out with the murder of Beth, and her church’s associate pastor (David Lighthouse)search to found out why because his girlfriend was murder the same way six years ago. David is joined by Beth’s sister and Holocaust survivor Ben Landers. I like that Micheal Webb tells the salvation story in his story and that he uses Biblical facts and verses in this novel. I would recommend this story to Christians and nonbelievers alike. I must say the ending was not what I expected to happen,with the demon. I will be looking for more of Micheal’s books in the future.

I received a free copy of this book/Ebook/Product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

I give "Casa de Naomi: The House of Blessing Book 2"by Paula Rose Michelson 5 stars. Naomi's friend Alex takes her to a camp where she finds The Blessing Rock and Ruth. Ruth gives her a Bible and asks her to read it. When Naomi reads the Bible she is surprised to find that Jesus is Messiah. Chaz learns a surprise as well in this book but I won't tell you what the surprise is. I thought Casa De Naomi Book 1 was great but I think Book 2 was even better. I think by the time all six books get written it might just be a classic like "Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell, at least I hope so. Paula Michelson gives such vivid details that I could actual see the scenes in my mind as I was reading. She actually made me feel what the characters were feeling. I think this saga would make a great movie or a mini series on the screen.Paula Michelson made the Bible passages she wrote in the story so inviting that while reading this book I wanted to get my Bible out and find the passages that she wrote about.I am eagerly awaiting the other books in this series. I was given a PDF by the author.

Friday, January 18, 2013

“Peaceful Passage” by Kim West gets 5 stars from me. This book is not just a textbook on the subject of caring for the dying like others has been because Kim West has a PhD in Clinical Pastoring Counseling and an M.Div in Counseling and Family and she became her mother’s primary caregiver when it was discovered that her mother had a brain tumor and a tumor on her pancreas. This book is written for the primary caregiver or caregivers when hospice is chosen. This book is written from a personal view. This book was written using the author’s own experiences to prepare other families for their loved’s one final journey. It was easy to read and understand. Kim West gives many helpful suggestions as well as step by step instructions on how to choose the right hospice and what medication and other options to use and not to use. The author stresses that your loved one should be included in all the decisions because as she says “ This is their life, after all.” There is a workbook after each chapter to record what steps and actions have been decided on as well as a journal to record your personal thoughts. Kim West talks about what to expect from our loved one and from others in our family and even ourselves from first hearing the news that nothing can be done to after the funeral. I like the fact that we are offered hope during and after our loved one’s journey. I am sure this book will be a helpmate to anyone going through this journey.There was a couple of times that I cried while reading this book such as when the author said sometimes our loved one need permission to leave,because I had to do that with my grandma. I plan on sharing this book with my sisters as my mother has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.The journal that Kim West kept during this time is included at the back of this book. I received a free copy of this book/Ebook/Product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

Peaceful Passage is available at the following online sites and your favorite bookstore

" Levi's Will' by Dale Cramer gets 5 stars from me. This is a fiction novel based on actual events from the author's own father's past. This story is a stand alone but I am glad that I read it after reading The Daughter's of Caleb Bender first. This story tells about Will running away from his home and leavening a pregnant girlfriend and his father because he feels he cannot measure up to his father's strict Amish ways and his life and his coming back to His father and God but not as an Amish man but as a son to Levi Mullet. The story starts out with Will running away and his brother is with him but his brother returns home. Will changes his name and joins the army and even gets married and has two sons. The chapters in this story goes from the past to the future which I found enjoyable. Riley, Will's son is really hard for Will to understand till Riley goes back to Ohio with Will to bury Levi. It is then that Will and Riley understand each other better. This story tells about had God never changes but we do and that His grace and forgiveness is ours if we only ask and believe and accept it. This story is an honest look at human feelings and how one actions not only affect you but others as well. I am really sorry that this book is the ending of the Bender and Mullet's family as I would really like to read more. Dale Cramer wrote so well that I feel that I would like to meet these families. I read and like a lot of stories but I don't remember but two other series by other authors that I wanted the stories to keep coming because I felt like I needed to know more.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

"Though Mountains Fall " by Dale Cramer gets 5 stars from me. This book is the last in the series “The Daughters of Caleb Bender. This is a series that I could read time and time again even knowing how it well end. It is the fourth year that the Bender family has lived in Paradise Valley and things are not improving, The bandits have all been killed by the Mexican government. Caleb Bender says the other differences between the bandits and the soldiers are the uniforms. The soldiers took the Amish farmers horses and crops and whatever they want and tell the farmers to think of it as taxes. The new government is against God and take the church building away from the priests and use it for their headquarters. While all this is going on Miriam marrieds Domingo and is ban for marrying outside the church. A new bishops comes to Paradise Valley to see if he wants to move there with his family. The soldiers attack and beat up two teenagers and the captain of the soldiers has them shot while the bishop and Caleb watch and then the Amish families decided it is time to go back to Ohio. Domingo goes to fight against the soldiers. Caleb is bitter and and then somethings tragic happens in Oho and then Caleb makes another trip back to Mexico. The ending was a great surprise! I am really sad to not be able to hear more about the Bender family. This book helps the reader realized that love is the greatest thing you can give a person.

Verse for today: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18New King James Version (NKJV)Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

How many of us can really say we do give thanks in everything? I am ashamed to admit I don't but am trying to improve that! I think it would be a really blessed and wonderful day when I can have only thankful thoughts instead of why this or I need this or this would be wonderful but....Well you get the idea. I think I am going to really try harder to give my negative thoughts back to the one they belonged to Satan who is the father of lies,( these thoughts come from him and I am going to let him have them back because I no longer need or what them. I am going to replace them with thoughts from my Heavenly Father Jesus. I am going to replace fear, jealousy, shame, inadequate feelings and unforgiveness and all the negative energy I spend on these things with love, peace, forgiveness and joy ! Who is with me? I really believe the we need to practice these things in our hearts and with ourselves as well as with other people. I believe we would see a difference if not with others but definitely with us !

Monday, January 14, 2013

"Winter Haven by Athol Dickson" gets 3 stars from me. This is the 4th book of his I have read and though I liked the story line, I didn't like it as well as the other 3 books. To me this book is like Sci-fiction and horror. Thirteen years ago Vera Gamble's brother ran away from home in Texas. The story starts out as Vera is on a mailboat going to Winter Haven to collect her Siggy's body after it was found washed up on the beach, Siggy Gamble only spoke Bible verses and he could speak them in seven languages. Their father was a faith healer but couldn't heal his wife or his son. Then after Saggy ran away Vera started having seizures (but there were really visions) and her father locked her up in the attic where Saggy had spent most of his time with his Viking comic books and his little toy boat. He told her questioning God was what was causing them and they were her punishment, So Vera has blocked all the visions away in her mind and refused to think about them. When Vera goes to claim the body she is surprised to see that Siggy hasn't changed into a man but has stayed exactly the same. The Steady Wallis, (the lawman of Winter Haven) is sure there is something strange about Siggy being there so he won't let Vera took the body home till he learns the truth. While there the village people try to warn her not to try to found out what happened and why his body is in Winter Heaven. Vera is warned about Evangeline who is a witch that draws people to Evangeline Folly's and they are killed and forever trapped trying to return to their homes. She meets Evan Frost after getting lost in the forest and she starts to fell they meet be more than friends. The town folks again warn her away from him saying he isn't what he appears to be. Vera is determined to find out how and why her brother ended up in Winter Haven even through there is danger. I like the ending of the story must better than the ending. I think anyone reading this will be surprised to learn that what appears to be isn't always the way it is. Winter Haven was given to me by the author for an honest review.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

"Spring's Renewal" by Shelley Shepard Gray gets 5 stars from me. It is the second book in The Seasons Of Sugarcreek series. Clara is the town's schoolteacher and is loved by all the kinder but the town folk just stare at her scars. The scars are from an accident when she was 6. Tim comes to help his uncle on his farm. Tim sees Clara and instant attractive but he has a girlfriend Ruby Lee. When Clara sees Tim she starts to hope that maybe she can have want she has always wanted, to be a wife and a mother. I wanted to get to the end to see if Clara and Tim ended up together. There is a tragic (not fatal) that happens in this story that shows what love and faith can do. Clara believes it is her duty to take care of her widow mother and does so unselfishly till she learns that her mother has been lying to her. I didn't much care for her mother till the end of the story. This book shows that sometimes things are the way they appear to be!

Monday, January 7, 2013

"Forsaken" by Shelley is a 5 star book. When Naomi's son and Lara's husband David dies they feel forsaken. Naomi who is a Christian gives up on God and wants to get Lara married to her nephew Ben because she is planning on committing suicide. So Naomi does things and acts really mean toward Lara so Lara will run to Ben for comfort. Ben is owner of a bed and breakfast in Colorado. Lara is the daughter of a wealthy parents but her mother threw her out when she married David and then again when Lara's father died. David was a Christian and Lara's start reading his Bible and determines to be like Ruth from the Bible. This book makes you really think about lost and heartache and grief. There are a few humorous lines. This story is so well written you want to see where it is leading. The characters are true to life. I believe this story would make an excellent movie. The author gave me a pdf for an honest review.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

"Why Do Bad Things Happen' by J.T. Beeson is definitely a 5 star book. This review is probably the longest one I have ever written but this book is just fantastic. I don't usually use a lot of direct quotes but in this review I have. In this book Jeff Beeson says there is a proper response to the bad things, which are adverse things that are not by themselves evil, but that create difficult situations, such as illness,death, accident, loss of job or possessions,etc. He says some of these things could be sent by God. He says that "God is not cruel at all in these things, but loving beyond belief and that there is a greater purpose that God desires for us than what we can ever completely understand and many times can't recognize until forced to do so by some bad thing that happens in our lives".It was from from these things in his own life that the author came up with IFHOGG. IFHOGG is an acronym for Increased Faith, Humility, Obedience, and God's Glory-received and returned. "These traits and the recognition of these aspects of life are critical to being able to move through the bad times, to seize the day and to not let the night of bad things overtake you. Darkness can paralyze us and keep us from being able to move, but there is a way out of the darkness. There is a way to allow the light of Christ to shine through and to chase away the blackness."IFHOGG will drown out the voice of Satan so that we can hear God speaking more clearly.
Increased Faith= Bad things helps us gain more faith.
Humility= When we are humble the question "Why do bad things happen to me or good people becomes "why do bad things happen" and helps us learn what God is trying to teach us. Humility keeps us able to accept help from God.

Obedience=allows the Father and the Son and The Holy Spirit to live in us and through us and pushes us more quickly through the trial. The bad things are not all going to go away because we are faithful and Humble and obedience but because of these traits the journey is different and so are we for the better. "Obedience leads us to be blessed by God, even during the bad times, and brings effects that are far reaching, extending far beyond our normal circle of influence.The effects of our obedience can impact those closest to us, and it can equally impact the lives of people who we may never know."

Receiving God's Glory= Jesus performed many miracles including sickness and disease and people's basic needs: food and drink, He spoke of money issues, clothing, and family relationships. The glory of God is able to reach in and affect each and every part of our daily lives.Each need that we have receives God's full attention and glory when we live faithful, humble,and obedient lives. "In the midst of the bad things, God draws us closer and wraps his arms of protection around us. We are better prepared to recognize the glory of God in the bad things. God's glory is present at some level in the life of every person, whether Christian or non-Christian.
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Returning God's Glory= "The gift of the glory of God is the one gift where it is expected and desired by the giver to re-gift it. God's hope in allowing us to share in His glory is that we will in turn share that same glory with others"

"We are just biding our time when bad things happen, waiting on Jesus to come and deliver us . The bad things are just temporary. Whether that deliverance shows itself when we journey to heaven or we say in this body here, we will be delivered. And regardless of where or how we are delivered on this earth, we will emerge stronger and better with Christ.We do not just make it through the bad things ;we are renewed"

J.T. Beeson gives examples of Biblical characters of how bad things brought these people to a greater joy and sometimes even more bad things but through them they won the victory. The author also gives scriptures to back up his claims. The author gave me this book for an honest review and I honestly agreed with everything he has written. I will be recommending this book to anyone who will listen.

"Winter's Awakening" by Shelley Shepard Gray gets 5 stars from me. It is the first book in the Seasons Of Sugarcreek Series. Gretta and Josh were courting and Greta assumed that they would get married. Then new neighbors, The Allen's moved next door to Joshua's family and Joshua begin to argue with Gretta and they decided to break up. But Lilly Allen wasn't Amish and she has a secret. Her secret is that she is pregnant and her parents want her to give up the baby for adoption but Lilly decides to keep the baby. Joshua realizes that Lilly is just a friend and begins to regrets his treatment of Gretta. Gretta begins to see a new guy because she doesn't want a marriage like her parents have, a marriage of silent. Then a winter's storm bring ice and a blackout to Sugarecreek and then things are made right again. This book had me wanting to skip to the end to see if things would work out. The characters could have been anyone's neighbors with one exception Joshua's family was Amish. I am wanting to found out more about these family in the other two books in the series and there is even a Christmas story to go along with the series.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

"The Captive Heart" by Dale Cramer is another 5 star book. It is the second book in The Daughters of Caleb Bender series. More families comes to Paradise Valley and the daughters of Caleb Bender are having more babies and even Rachel and Jake Weaver are planing to marry and yes even Miriam is engaged but then illness comes and threatens death to little Amos and Ada. So Rachel and Aaron Bender take them to the dr. in Agua Nueva and they get well only to run into the bandits on the way home and Aaron is harmed and Rachel is kidnapped and Ada knows enough to depend on God to get little Amos home to Mary, His mother. Jake and Domingo goes to save Rachel and runs into their own trouble with the bandit. I love the fact that Miriam and Kyra rescued Domingo and bring him home. This book keeps you reading and you think the worse has happened only to find out it hasn't. The ending is Great but is surprising! I can't wait to read the next book Though Mountains Fall to get some questions answered like what happened to the lead bandit El Pantera and if Miriam is banned. I think even if you didn't like reading Amish fiction this series would keep you reading it. Even through it is fiction it is based on a real chapter in Dale's ancestors' lives. And when I was reading Dale Cramer's blog I found out Levi's Will is about this same family a generation later so I will be reading this book also.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

"Radical Well-Being A biblical guide to overcoming pain, Illness & addictions" by Rita Hancock MD gets 5 stars from me. Are you ready to put on behavior that leads to better health? Are you ready to set your mind on Scripture and positivity? These two sentences are direct quotes from the book. And if your answer is yes to these two questions then read this book. I usually pass on the books I read to others but I am keeping this one. I have done alot of underlinning so that I can use the things Dr. Hancock has said to help me overcome my emotional eating. I really believe if you follow her guidelines it will help you overcome the stress and the pain and illness that comes from hidden sins,generational curses and emotional baggage. The stress talked about in the book are physical,emotional, spiritual ways of your family heritage, fear, depression, believing lies about yourself and perfectionism and unforgiveness. In her practice Dr Hancock uses OMM, which she explains fully in the book but she also uses prayer and helps you discover which of the stresses are causing you pain after she rules out that there is not a physical problem, after doing all the normal xrays and tests. In this book she tells of patients and their problems and what God and she and the patients have done to help and gives useful tools to realize this healing ourselves. She also advices us to seek Professional help in areas that are just too painful to deal with on our own. She also includes specifics prayers to pray and Scriptures for self talk and emotional healing and even gives websites where you can get more help from the professionals. I believe everyone that reads this books will gain at least one or two and probably many more tools to help them live a more healthy and less painful life. I am going to end this review with a direct quote from the book again " Neither God nor I promised you'd be perfected at any stage of the game in your physical body. But if you follow the principles in this book, you ought to feel less stress. more peace, and less physical pain along the way as you see greater and greater levels of Spirit-led healing." This book was given to by the author for an honest review.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Well here I set and think about what 2013 will bring! I think there will heartache and joy! Carl's goes back to work tonight and I will be alone again but If I really think about I am never alone because Jesus has promised to never leave me. And I have all my facebook friends and of course my books! I am hoping that this year I am ready and able to completely put all my trust in My Lord and do only His will because like the song says "It is only in His Will that we are happy". So with that said, I pray that everyone of you find yourself surrounded in His love and protection. This year I am hoping to read more books and listen to myself and check my comments before hitting the post as I don't type really well. I am also hoping to turn all negative thoughts back to Satan, for he is a liar and God says I am His and I'm loved. I am trying to write a short story and I am hoping that if is God's will I will complete it and it will bring honor to Him. I am also hoping to spend more time in prayer and communication with Jesus and also I am going to try to spend more time reading The Bible. I know this blog today has alot of I in it but it isn't suppose to be about me today I want to bring Jesus glory by what I do and don't do in 2013.